Reply #48: it isn't that hard to disappear

[amazona]

You don't need to pay top dollar to change your identity and it won't work anyway if you are still keeping contact with your parents and in-laws. Re-locating to some place the beggars can't find you would be my top priority. I never answer my phone anyway, so if anyone leaves a message I don't want to respond to, who cares. If you really wanted to stay in the same area, it would be more effective to hire security to keep hangers-on from hanging out near your place. Especially if you hired an off-duty cop or two and built good relationships with the local police department, you could stay in the same area (if you wished) and still not be hassled too much. Personally, I wouldn't tell anyone in my family if I won $15 million after-tax dollars. They live in a different state and would never know the difference anyway. If an emergency came up and they needed money, I could make a big deal about how I took out a loan against my house or stock and that I don't have another dime. If people know you won the lottery and also know you already gave away $5 million, I really don't think changing your name is going to stop them from tracking you down to hit you up for more.

I like my area but considering they seem to be on track to chop down every tree in my lifetime, I would strongly consider relocating elsewhere. Some foreign country where it would be too much trouble for indigent family members to track me down. I could always fly down the people I want to see and make up some story about frequent flyers tickets etc. Yeah, it seems deceptive to keep one's true net worth a secret but I think it's the only way to avoid lawsuits. Just changing your identity...even if they don't know your name of the moment, they might know you're rich and that might be enough for hassles.


I met a man who sued his ex-wife when she won the lottery. I mean, excuse me? The judge threw it out of course. What was he thinking? Why would your ex-wife owe you anything?